The present invention relates generally to materials such as pastes or putties, often referred to as wall repair or spackling compounds, that are used to fill and repair holes, cracks and other minor surface defects or imperfections in wood, drywall and/or plaster.
Interior walls of homes and buildings are often constructed using gypsum wallboard panels (sometimes referred to as drywall). When cavities, recesses, holes, etc., are present (due to imperfections or damage) it is common to use spackling compound (also referred to as wall repair compound) to fill such cavities. Conventional spackling compounds often include one or more inorganic fillers, one or more polymeric resin binders, and various thickeners and other additives. Lightweight spackling compounds have been developed which often contain, among other inorganic fillers, relatively low density fillers such as glass bubbles, hollow silica, or expanded perlite. After spackling compound is applied to a wall, the water evaporates over a period of time resulting in the formation of a dried, hardened material which can be sanded, painted, etc.
Spackling compounds are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,531,528 (Kurp), for example, discloses a ready to use patch repair product that includes a color change indicator. After the product has dried the color changes to signal that, if desired, the worker can perform other operations such as painting, sanding, etc on the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 7,790,796 (Foster, et. al.) discloses a spackling compound that is easy to apply smoothly, can be applied in thicker layers than known spackling without cracking upon drying, and can be modified after drying without pitting, flaking, or crumbling, particularly at the edges of the applied spackling patch.